An upper level low pressure system remained park across Baja California through October 17. This feature interacted with plenty of moisture and resulted in periods of very heavy rain from October 15 through the 17.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS SJT wrote it up.
An upper level low pressure system remained park across Baja California through October 17. This feature interacted with plenty of moisture and resulted in periods of very heavy rain from October 15 through the 17.
Widespread flooding developed across the area and many lakes and rivers rose above flood stage and resulted in widespread flooding. Millions of dollars of damage was done to roads and county infrastructure.
Johnson Fork Creek rose high enough that it caused some water to overflow onto one of the lanes on Interstate 10. Interstate 10 had to be closed. The Clear Fork on the Brazos River near Fort Griffin rose to 36.18 feet on October 15; The Llano River at Mason rose to 32.89 foot on October 16; Colorado River near San Saba rose to 32.53 feet on October 17; Colorado River near Ballinger rose to 22.97 feet on October 17; and the San Saba River at San Saba rose to 28.54 inches on October 16.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS San Angelo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 15, 5:32 PM CST, 4 hours 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Angelo TX 632 PM CDT Mon Oct 15 2018 .AVIATION... /00Z TAFS/ MVFR to IFR conditions will persist for the majority of the next 24 hours. Periods of rain will continue on and off through Monday night and Tuesday. Reduced visibility will be a problem, occasionally, along with gusty winds. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 252 PM CDT Mon Oct 15 2018/ SHORT TERM... (Tonight and Tuesday) ..Flash flood watch extended through Tuesday evening... Cold and unseasonable temperatures continue with upper 30s to lower 40s across West Central Texas this afternoon. Near steady temperatures will continue tonight and Tuesday, with continued cold advection. Winds will not be as strong, however, decreasing to the 10 to 15 mph range. The upper storm system over New Mexico will continue to bring bands of showers with isolated thunderstorms over the cold air at the surface. Models indicate the next band of showers to spread north this evening, with the heaviest rainfall along and east of a Sonora...San Angelo...Abilene line. WPC has 1 to 2 1/2 inches through 7 PM Tuesday in this area. With saturated soils, and little evaporation due to cold temperatures, any rainfall will run off quickly. Thus the flash flood watch has been extended. LONG TERM... (Tuesday Night through Monday)) A shallow cold airmass will remain over the area through Wednesday, with temperatures slowly moderating by the end of the week and into next weekend. Temperatures will remain below normal through the extended period, with highs on Wednesday in the lower 50s, warming into the 60s Friday through Sunday. An upper level low will develop over the Desert Southwest tonight and remain nearly stationary through Wednesday night before shearing east as an open wave across the Plains on Friday. This setup will favor continued high rain chances through Friday as disturbances out ahead of the upper low lift northeast across the area. Another cold front looks to move through the area on Saturday in wake of the upper trough moving across the Plains. Rain chances will persist through the weekend, mainly over southern sections behind the front as yet another upper level system develops west of the area. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Abilene 39 43 42 55 / 100 90 50 60 San Angelo 38 42 41 51 / 90 90 60 60 Junction 39 43 43 53 / 100 90 70 60 Brownwood 39 41 41 52 / 100 90 80 70 Sweetwater 36 41 41 50 / 80 80 30 50 Ozona 39 41 41 51 / 90 80 60 70 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flash Flood Watch through Tuesday evening for Brown-Callahan- Coke-Coleman-Concho-Crockett-Irion-Kimble-Mason-McCulloch-Menard- Runnels-San Saba-Schleicher-Shackelford-Sutton-Taylor-Tom Green. && 41
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service San Angelo TX 201 PM CDT Mon Oct 15 2018 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-161915- Fisher-Nolan-Sterling-Coke-Runnels-Irion-Tom Green-Concho- Crockett-Schleicher-Sutton-Haskell-Throckmorton-Jones-Shackelford- Taylor-Callahan-Coleman-Brown-McCulloch-San Saba-Menard-Kimble- Mason- 201 PM CDT Mon Oct 15 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of west central Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Showers, some producing heavy rainfall, will continue through tonight. The best area for heavy rainfall will be along and east of a Sonora...San Angelo...Abilene line. As the ground is saturated, there is a threat for flash flooding and river flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday Showers, some producing heavy rainfall, will be possible through the end of the work. As the ground is saturated, there is a threat for flash flooding and river flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.
The San Angelo radar (KSJT), 146 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:14 UTC.
15 flood, 5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement reported Ranch Road 386 from Mason to Fredonia was closed due to flooding. Also, FM 1871 south of Mason was closed for several miles due to flooded low water crossings.
Law enforcement reported several roads closed in Kimble County due to flooded low water crossings, including U.S. Highway 377 from the county line to Junction, Ranch Road 385 from London to Harper, Ranch Road 479, and FM 2169.
The sheriff's office reported Johnson Creek flowing over FM 2169.
The Mason County Sheriff's office reported Beaver Creek flowing onto a road near U.S. Highway 87, 10 miles southeast of Mason. U.S. Highway 87 south of Mason was closed. In addition, Texas Highway 71 in northeastern Mason County was closed due to flooding.
The sheriff's office reported that Johnson Fork Creek was flowing over one of the lanes on Interstate 10, with multiple swift water rescues in progress. Interstate 10 was closed as well as FM 2169 north of Interstate 10 due to the Johnson Fork Creek flooding. First responders launched swift water rescue boats from Interstate 10 and rescued some people from their roofs.
TxDOT reported RR 2596, FM 2129, and County Roads 220, 245, 300, 312, 316, 329, and 350 in Schleicher County closed due to flooding.
TxDOT reported FM 3399 closed at the spillway of Oak Creek Reservoir due to flooding.
TXDOT reported FM 617 between Rochester and Weinert closed due to flooding. Many other roads were affected across Haskell County. Prolonged heavy rainfall flooded roads across Haskell County and this flooding damaged some roads in the county. This damage and flooding was exasperated by all of the rainfall since September.
TxDOT reported that State Highway 16 was closed at the San Saba River bridge due to water over the bridge. The closure was from FM 500 to South Lewis Street.
TxDOT reported Ranch Road 864 and Ranch Road 189 in Sutton County closed due to flooding.
TxDOT reported RR 2291, RR 1773, FM 2092, and FM 1311 in Menard County closed due to flooding. Lots of damage to area roads and county infrastructure form the prolonged flooding.
Prolonged heavy rainfall flooded roads across Mason County and this flooding resulted in damage to 257 miles of road.
Prolonged heavy rainfall continued to flood roads across Kimble County. This flooding damaged 324 miles of roads and several bridges.
Prolonged heavy rainfall flooded roads across Brown County since September and this new flooding damaged some roads and bridges in the county.
Prolonged heavy rainfall flooded roads across Throckmorton County. This flooding caused damage to some of the roads.
Prolonged heavy rainfall flooded roads across Taylor County and this flooding damaged some roads in the county.
Prolonged heavy rainfall flooded roads across Jones County and this flooding damaged some roads in the county. This damage and flooding was exasperated by all of the rainfall since September.
Prolonged heavy rainfall flooded roads across Callahan County and this flooding damaged some roads and bridges in the county. This damage and flooding was exasperated by all of the rainfall since September.
Prolonged heavy rainfall flooded roads across Nolan County and this flooding damaged some roads and bridges in the county. This damage and flooding was exasperated by all of the rainfall since September.
The public posted photos on Facebook of several streets flooded in Ballinger.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, October 2018
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 788059, 788060, 788062, 788066, 788067, 788070, 788072, 788074, 788076, 788079, 788081, 788712, 788713, 804711, 788701, 788711, 804703, 804737, 804738, 788089.